Getting Help With Linux

So you've heard a lot about the power of Linux and you're eager to try it out for yourself. But where do you start?

Whether you're a long-time Linux user or
a total newbie who needs to obtain Linux software for that first
install, it is easy to become overwhelmed by the vast amount of
Linux information available. Finding the best approach to getting
help on a particular problem is no simple task. Since Linux is an
independent happening—no company or sole entity
owns what is essentially a continually-growing
resource, free for all humanity—this tangle of information can be
confusing. Here's an attempt to outline the most efficient means of
getting help with Linux.

First, understand that no matter what your skill level,
you're not alone. Help is always available—in fact, one of the
strengths of the free software movement is that you don't have to
wait on a tech support line, or rely on any one business (and local
business hours) for help—individuals and companies all over the
world can provide all levels of support.

There are four basic routes to getting help with Linux; the
one you choose for any particular problem will depend on what that
problem is. These routes almost always overlap, and eventually
you'll probably have dealt with all four in varying degrees. They
are:

Books and Media

The Internet

Regional user groups

Consultants

Books and Media

If you already have a computer you want to run Linux on, and
you're ready to begin fiddling with the hardware settings, then
this is a good place to begin. Books are also the best desktop
reference to keep handy when you need quick information—and you
can take them along when you're away from a computer. For
beginners, a good book is quite a deal because it often comes
bundled with a Linux CD-ROM.

Note, however, that like any other popular subject, the
mileage of any given Linux book will vary—they range from
excellent tomes of which a shopworn copy is an absolute
must for every Linux guru's lair, to those
that contain inaccuracies and typos. This same warning also applies
to the many Linux CD-ROMs available.

When you are in the market for a CD-ROM, make sure that you
are getting a recent distribution; these can be obtained from many
vendors, such as Cheap Bytes, Prime Time Freeware and Linux System
Labs, often for as little as a few dollars. Be wary of older
CD-ROMs; using older versions of the software may be more trouble
than they're worth—the active and continual development of the
Linux system means that the software on old CD-ROMs will be
significantly different from the bleeding edge Linux that's out in
the field. Since Linux is constantly getting easier to install and
use and hardware compatibilities are always being added, you will
save yourself some grief by installing from the newest version you
can get.

On that note, be careful of the publication date on any books
you might be considering. As a rule, any technical book or CD is
outdated to some degree upon publication. It is generally safe to
assume that any Linux book or CD over a year and a half
old is hopelessly out of date. Furthermore, if you find
a Linux book or CD more than three years old,
consider it an object of Internet and computing antiquity—maybe
keep it for historical purposes or as a conversation piece.

When it comes to applied computing—and specifically the
Internet/UNIX world—the books published by O'Reilly &
Associates seem to be without peer. Their TCP/IP Network
Administration by Craig Hunt is a must-have for learning
the basics of Internet networking, and they've done the same with
their selection of fine books on Linux. The latest edition of their
book Running Linux, by Matt Welsh and Lar
Kaufman, is perhaps the finest all-around general-purpose Linux
overview currently available.

The Free Software Foundation also publishes many books
documenting free software, including the GNU Emacs editor; unlike
most other publishers of technical manuals, the FSF's books are as
free as the software they write about, and buying these books is a
good way to show support for this organization.

As far as CD-ROMs are concerned, you will probably want to
stick with those containing either (or both) the Debian or Red Hat
distributions of Linux. A distribution is
necessary; it is simply a collection of the various programs and
applications which make up a running, usable Linux system, along
with some way of upgrading or maintaining the system. They all
contain the same Linux programs and software, but each one collects
them differently and has a different means for installation and
upgrades.

Slackware was an early distribution that was excellent for
its time, but seems to have taken a back seat recently as far as
popularity goes. There are many other less popular distributions,
each with its own strengths and weaknesses—but for a beginner,
sticking with one of the top two (Debian and Red Hat) is probably
your best bet. As was pointed out on IRC recently, distributions
are to Linux like flavors are to ice cream—there's much more than
just vanilla and chocolate out there, and which one you eventually
settle down with will depend on your own taste.

Debian GNU/Linux is a free distribution that, like Linux
itself, is assembled by a loose collection of enthusiasts. Red Hat
is a commercial product (also assembled by
Linux enthusiasts) that most consider to be much easier to install
and maintain.